Content
To ensure a good harvest, it is important to take care of purchasing quality seeds in advance. But most people are often at a loss as to which seeds are best suited for their conditions, and what you should pay attention to first. After all, having made the wrong choice of seeds, you can put a lot of effort and not get the desired result, but the whole point will be that this variety simply did not suit your climatic zone, or you planted it at a time unusual for this variety of cucumbers. The main mistake of non-professional gardeners, no matter how trivial it may sound, is to choose seeds based on the picture on the package, although all the most important things are usually written on it, only on the reverse side.
Choosing seeds for seedlings
It is best to choose the winter season in order to systematically purchase seeds of varieties or hybrids for spring seedlings.
So, if you are interested in early ripening cucumbers, then you should know that they are also divided into two groups, according to the speed of ripening.
- Early;
- Ultra early (super early).
In turn, both of these groups contain hybrid, parthenocarpic, self-pollinating and insect-pollinated varieties.But which of these types is worth focusing on is a topic for detailed analysis.
So which is better, a hybrid or a variety?
A variety is a group of plants formed by crossing one type of cucumber. Its peculiarity is the initial support for the growth of male plants, which must subsequently pollinate female ones. But since the male color takes a lot of energy, you can’t expect early results from these plants. Although there is a way to speed up the ripening process, by manually removing male flowers, and when the plant reaches a height of more than 70 cm, the main stem should be pinched, after which it will produce lateral sprouts, on which the flowers will be female.
A hybrid is an artificially bred group of plants that has mainly female flowering, although professionals on such bushes initially also remove flowers that form on the stem below 70 cm to enhance the growth of shoots and foliage. The only disadvantage hybrid cucumbers have over varietal and self-pollinating ones is the absence of their own seed material obtained from overripe fruits.
Self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers - such plants have both male and female signs of flowering in their flowers (stamens and pistil). The advantage of this species is that you can collect seeds from the fruits for planting next year and do not need to pollinate them manually.
Varieties of early and ultra-early cucumbers
Self-pollinating variety Malysh
You can start harvesting this variety after 30 - 38 days from the moment the first shoots appear. These self-pollinating, early-ripening cucumbers are suitable for both salads and pickling for the winter. Other positive and negative factors include:
- Lack of bitterness in the fruit;
- The seeds of these cucumbers are suitable only for open ground;
- The fruits do not turn yellow, even if they are not picked for a long time;
- You can save it in fairly good condition for 10 days.
Altai early
You will receive the first fruits from this self-pollinating variety approximately 38 days after planting the seeds. A medium-sized greenery with small but hardy wattles, the fruit itself has an ellipsoidal shape and does not exceed 10–15 cm in length. The taste of this variety is at an average level, and the fruits obtained from it are suitable mainly for consumption raw.
Elegant
The seeds of this variety are offered for sale as early ripening, and they justify this purpose, but only in open ground. In this case, the first harvest is obtained approximately 40 days after planting the seeds. They reach a maximum length of 13 cm, but for pickling it is better to use fruits up to 9 cm long, and large cucumbers can be eaten raw. Seeds give the best results in open ground, but even in greenhouses the yield drops slightly.
Zozulya
The seeds of this self-pollinating variety will take root well on any soil, even if you plant them in an apartment on the windowsill, you will not reduce the amount of harvest. After planting the seeds, the first greenery will begin to appear on days 45–48. Distinctive features in this variety will be:
- Sweetness of the fruit;
- The shape is cylindrical with small tubercles;
- Significant disease resistance;
- Universal consumption;
- Possibility of planting seeds in different types of soil.
Voyage F1
Belongs to the parthenocariptic species. After you have planted the seeds, the first ovaries will appear after 35 days.Like almost all early-ripening, self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers, Voyage is not suitable for pickling, because the skin of early-ripening varieties is thin and strongly absorbs moisture.
This is explained by the fact that the fruit is fed directly from the root system, and it, in turn, stops developing after the first ovaries appear. There is a direct pattern: the rapid appearance of greens does not allow the formation of a powerful root, and its vitality is only enough for a short period of fruiting.
April F1
It belongs to the early ripening family and after you plant the seeds, you can prepare for harvesting in about 45 - 52 days. Self-pollinating varieties such as April's usually have male and female characteristics when flowering. The green plant is decorated with large white thorns and reaches a length of up to 20 cm. It is quite resistant to some of the most common diseases (powdery mildew and root rot).
Nightingale F1
Having planted the seeds, the first harvest can be expected from this variety already on the 50th day; it is mainly cultivated in open ground. The fruit has a rich green color, an average weight of 70 - 90 grams, and a length of up to 10 cm. Many summer residents successfully grow it in greenhouses; its medium-sized bushes are resistant to many diseases.
Fontana F1
This bee-pollinated hybrid begins to bear fruit 55 days after you plant the seeds. Although the variety is pollinated by bees, it has mostly female flowers. It is well suited for growing in greenhouses, but bears fruit just as well in open ground. Zelentsy of this variety reach a weight of 100-120 grams. and length 8 – 10 cm, have a tuberculate shape.Diseases such as bacteriosis, downy mildew, anthracosis and spotting are not dangerous for this variety. With proper care, you can get up to 8 kg of cucumbers from one bush.
Pickling F1
Breeders have managed to develop the most successful early ripening varieties for pickling - this is one of them. The harvest period begins after 50 - 55 days from the moment you planted the seeds. This variety is mainly cultivated in open ground. The bush itself has average parameters for growth in height and width, and the fruits from it are 10 - 12 cm in length, and weighing up to 125 grams.
Spring F1
The first shoots appear after a week from the moment the seed is planted; after another 43 - 48 days, the first fruits can be expected to appear. The variety itself is intended for open and closed soils. This self-pollinating cucumbers with female flowers, with fairly average shoot formation. The greens themselves have black spines on their surface. These gherkins are almost the shortest, only 9–10 cm long and weighing 80–100 grams. This hybrid is extremely resistant to all types of powdery mildew and root rot.
Gerda F1
This variety begins to bear fruit approximately 50–55 days after the seeds were planted in the ground. It is classified as self-pollinating, but the color is predominantly female. It is used for growing in greenhouses and open ground. Zelentsy have a rich bright green color, with longitudinal white stripes, tapering at the base. They were devoid of bitterness at the genetic level. They have a relatively small fruit length of up to 10 cm, and a weight of up to 100 grams. The variety is quite resistant to diseases.
Claudia F1
Self-pollinating flowers appear on it by 43–45 days from the moment the seeds are planted. The variety is intended for greenhouses, greenhouses and open ground; it does not take root on the windowsill.The fruits are dark green with light stripes. The green plant is usually about 8–9 cm long; the bush itself has complex resistance to common diseases.
Cupid F1
One of the fastest ripening varieties. The period before the first ovaries appear on the bush is approximately 42 - 45 days, provided that the seeds are planted in May. If you meet all the requirements, then by the end of June he will delight you with ripe greens 8–10 cm long and round in shape. The hybrid itself is parthenocarpic, and its seeds germinate successfully at an average temperature of +10 degrees.
Conclusion
Of course, these are not all early-ripening cucumbers that are worthy of attention. Breeders on agricultural farms annually breed a lot of new hybrids and self-pollinating varieties, so many have already chosen leaders who will take root well in a particular climate zone. We only hope that this list will be of interest not only to novice gardeners, but also to experienced gardeners who have decided to expand their knowledge.
